Hello!! We are still at WAR!!!!!

[EricTheBald]

Originally posted by summer


***We are not in a declared war. We are, however, at war on terrorism.***

I disagree. GW quite plainly declared war on the terrorists and the nations who harbor them.

[yahcanmicrowave]

In order for it to be a war, it has to be formally declared by Congress. Although Congress allowed GW to take action in Iraq, they did not formally declare war. The last declared war was WWII. Everything after that was a police action.

[EricTheBald]

No...

Congress DOES have the power to declare war, but the president is commander in chief. He can send the army in if he want's to.

Cangress can turn around and make him pull them out after a certain amount of time, I think 90 days, but the president can for DAMN sure declare war and send the military in.

[EricTheBald]

Not to put too fine a point on it...

The military has been sent into combat MANY times, with several different presidents, all without a declaration of war.

[yahcanmicrowave]

Originally posted by EricTheBald
No...

Congress DOES have the power to declare war, but the president is commander in chief. He can send the army in if he want's to.

Cangress can turn around and make him pull them out after a certain amount of time, I think 90 days, but the president can for DAMN sure declare war and send the military in.

He can send it troops, but the President himself cannot declare war. Part of the checks and balances of the system.

[Irishbravo]

First things first. In many parts of Iraq we where welcomed, yes I mean and my buds personally the kurds who lived in the shadow of a chemical extermination would share whatever food they had (lots of rice from UN) we where and still are loved and complemented in the north of Iraq this area comprises 21% of the population and 40% of the oil also the major crossroad across the zab river and the valley routes through the zagros mountains (invasion coridor for iran). From what friends of mine are telling me the south wich comprises 58% of the population and 60% of the oil have learned that we are not the great satan that their iranian cousins have warned them about the majority of the population do not want an islamic goverment there, but they are reluctant to say so for a combination of reasons, the vast majority agree that we should stay.
Amongst the sunni arabs in the triangle (19% of the population 0% of the oil) there is everything from hatred and resentment to relief and covert help. you must understand if you where a sunni arab in saddams iraq you future was assured. you could always get a good goverment job in the south or north the only job skill was to treat the slave like slaves. those days are over for ever. all those who moved their families north or south to get work had to flee and are no sitting around unemployed in the triangle, some have taken saddams money to fight the ocupiers others have taken wahhabi/moslem money to hide gudie and sheppard the foreighn fighter.
it will be a long hard slog, I wish it was different. its not and we have made things very difficult because we will not hire ex baath party members to enfource our rules good for us we did not employ the nazi's in large number after ww2 and we came to regret hirring any at all in the long run.
ultimatley we will reduce our fources in iraq to a division, just like we have had in korea for 50 years. the shia's and kurds will run the country and the sunni's will stay in their triangle. if they raise their hand against the state the shia and kurdish goverment will vist on them many of the things they learned at the hands of the baathists. we need to stay there to keep things just stable enough and to keep a civil war from turning into a genocide (not even I hate that much)
as to the wmd's they had them do a google search on Halabja or go to kurdnet and ask about it where are they now? got no idea, where is whitey bulger? he has been on the fbi top ten list for ten years does anyone say he doesn't exist
morale is bad you say? it should be how many people here have been shot at ? its a stressfull event now have taht happen everyother or every third day for 6 months, and by the way there was plenty of bad morale miscalculations and outright blunders during ww2
I dont expect to change anyones mind, but if you oppose the war or how its being fought plese do not make the same mistake that the left made 35 years ago. the men and women fighting and dying in iraq are serving their country the same way most of you serve your states and towns. You may not agree with say the drug or gun laws passed by the legislatures but you will do your duty, right ?
just my two cents

[summer]

I disagree. GW quite plainly declared war on the terrorists and the nations who harbor them.

I believe GW declared war on terrorism right after 911. We've been at war on terrorism since '01. There's a difference between a declared war on a country vs. terrorist groups.

just my two cents..

[summer]

morale is bad you say? it should be how many people here have been shot at ? its a stressfull event now have taht happen everyother or every third day for 6 months, and by the way there was plenty of bad morale miscalculations and outright blunders during ww2

I don't disagree with you. I believe I stated what you've put into words. Our soldiers are indeed in a stressful situation. Their comrades are being picked off almost on a daily basis. Of course, it's going to cause morale issues. As for others at RP having the experience of combat, I think some of us have had our time in the Military during other Military conflicts. I think we are able to understand better than those who have not been involved in any Military conflict..

Thank you for your service to our country..

[EricTheBald]

Originally posted by yahcanmicrowave
He can send it troops, but the President himself cannot declare war. Part of the checks and balances of the system.

Show me in the constitution where it says he CANNOT declare war.



Irish -
Why did you cnage your name from Irish18bravo?

Trying to stay undercover?

[Irishbravo]

I changed my name from irish18 bravo to irishbravo because I had to scrub my computer, and could not remeber my frickin password
in short Im a frickin idiot

[summer]

Show me in the constitution where it says he CANNOT declare war.

Under the War Pact the President can declare war without Congress' approval. However, the declaration is only good for 90 days. That's my understanding of what our President can do..

[DltUNH]

On the topic of the war. I heard that thousands of marines are getting deployed to Iraq come June. If i'm not mistaken this isn't the role of the USMC. I thought that the army was the large occupying force, and Marines are more suited for quick moving assaults. Is it true that the Marines supply lines and whatnot don't have the same capacity as Army. And also is this proof that our military is being worn thin by fighting 2 wars at the same time?

DLT

[ngcsubutterbar]

I understand their now is a Burger King or McDonalds open in Iraq. <----------seriously, how is that positive for iraqi's?


there is 'one' more franchise out there, maybe 20 jobs cause of it, but what about the mom and pop stores it 'might' take business from. Only a sloth would measure progress by **** like that.



erik, btw, I know for a fact they teach that in middle school history and geography.


DECLARATION OF WAR - An act of the national legislature, in which a state of war is declared to exist between the United States and some other nation. This power is vested in Congress by the Constitution, Art. I. There is no form or ceremony necessary, except the passage of the act.

The public proclamation of the government of a state, by which it declares itself to be at war with a foreign power, and which forbids all and every one to aid or assist the common enemy. A manifesto stating the causes of the war is usually published, but war exists as soon as the act takes effect.

It was formerly usual to precede hostilities by a public declaration communicated to the enemy, and to send a herald to demand satisfaction, but that is not the practice of modern times. In some countries, e.g., England, the power of declaring war is vested in the king, but he has no power to raise men or money to carry it on, which renders the right almost nugatory.
--b--

btw, they did try to declare war. IMO an illegal enemy, but they tried non the less.
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics....20010913d.html